Έτος ανέγερσης:1884
Ποια είναι η ιστορία του κτιρίου;The years around 1870 played an important role in the history of Millstatt and marked the beginning of a dramatic transformation in which a relatively insignificant Carinthian town became a dynamic hub of development. Over a very short space of time, Millstatt became a famous and exclusive Summer destination for noble and wealthy families of the Austro Hungarian monarchy.
Rudolf Schürer von Waldheim – Founder of the See Villa
It was also in the year 1870 that the story of the See Villa began when the wealthy publisher and son of a Bohemian glass industry magnate, Rudolf Schürer von Waldheim came to Millstatt to bid on an untouched and idyllic piece of land on lake Millstatt that lay between the Hotel Forelle and the Pesentheiner peninsula.
This property was the ideal place to build a Summer hotel directly on lake Millstatt. Schürer sought out the expertise of renowned architects Mayreder and Köchlin (Builders of the Ronacher in Vienna) to design the See Villa.
Mayreder. One of the See Villa Architects
The building complex of the See Villa originally consisted of one main building. On the ground floor there was an elegant dining room and a large kitchen with apartments above it for the staff. A so-called “ice house” was also built for the storage of meat and vegetables. This storage room took up the entire ground floor while the first floor could be reached via an external spiral staircase.
Between these two buildings, there were a series of sheds for calves. On the site of where the car park is today, there was a Russian bowling alley and beside this, there were stalls for carriages which were the most advanced means of transport used by the nobility at the time.
A large boathouse was later constructed beside the lake. This was used for fishing and bathing. The boathouse is still there today. The only difference one can see from the outside is that a child’s pool has been added.
The northern side of the complex was used as a garden and had a large greenhouse where exotic shrubs and bushes were grown for the purpose of keeping the hotel full of fresh flowers.
In addition to the main buildings, the architects Mayreder and Köchlin also designed the Tacoli Villa which at the time was called the” old German house”. This was intended as a private house for the family of the proprietor. The Tacoli Villa was finished in 1881. One year later, the hotel complex was completed. It opened its doors for the first time in 1884.
Το κτίριο περιβάλλεται και από άλλα ιστορικά κτίρια;Villa Verdin lies to the east of the See-Villa hotel and was originally called Villa Kamerovsky. This was built by the Rothschild family. The park villa was built by Baron Schwarz while Baron von Musil built Schloss Heroldegg out of white stone, taking inspiration from his Palace in France. These villas are known to all as landmarks of the town of Millstatt.